CurriConnects Book List - Natural Disasters

Natural DisastersNatural disasters are a fascination for many students, but they can offer a new angle on many science and social studies topics, as well as current events. We can talk about WHY they happen and/or the results afterward: How did communities change? What did people do in response? This collection of books could accompany a unit on earth science, weather, or even communities and government as your students look at how disasters affect people and how individuals or governments respond to adversity. These books would also connect well to a character education or guidance unit about dealing with crisis. You could even include this list with a geography unit about differences in weather, climate, and landforms around the world. These books provide experience with both nonfiction informational texts and fiction that requires students to draw inferences about the "facts." If having students read independently, you may want to pose a big question or two related to your curriculum for them to think about as they read. Have them return and share their answers after reading, perhaps as a presentation or small group project.

Preschool and Picture Books

Flood - Alvaro Villa, (978-1623700010) , FictionInterest level: 0-3, ESL level: 2This wordless picture book shows the effects of a flood on a family and community, including both the tragic and touching aspects.

Kenta and the Big Wave - Ruth Ohi, (978-1554515776) , FictionInterest level: 0-2, Lexile: 560, ESL level: 2Kenta's family has to leave their Japanese home in too big of a hurry for him to grab his floating soccer ball, but in the aftermath of the tsunami, another child rescues the ball and returns it to him.

Mama: A True Story in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama during a Tsunami, But Finds a New Home and a New Mama - Jeanette Winter, (978-0152054953) , FictionInterest level: 0-3, ESL level: 2A baby hippo loses his mother after a tsunami strikes and they are both left floating in this nearly wordless picture book.

Monsoon - Uma Krishnaswami, (978-0374350154) , FictionInterest level: 0-2, ESL level: 2 - 3People in India eagerly await the clouds that signal the start of monsoon season after the land and city have become very dry.

Panda's Earthquake Escape - Phyllis Perry, (978-1607180715) , FictionInterest level: 0-2, Lexile: 580, ESL level: 2Two wild pandas become lost after they run for the woods during an earthquake.

Storms - Miriam Goin, (978-1426303944) , Non-fictionInterest level: 0-1, Lexile: 500, ESL level: 2 - 3If you have questions about different kinds of weather and why it happens, this is the book for you!

Yesterday We Had a Hurricane - Deirdre Mercier, (978-0975434253) , FictionInterest level: 0-2, ESL level: 2 - 3A very young child describes her experiences with a hurricane; how it was on the inside of the house, what the damage was, and how her family coped are all covered.

Early Elementary Books

The Tsunami Quilt: Grandfather's Story - Anthony Fredericks, (978-1585363131) , FictionInterest level: 1-4, ESL level: 2 - 3Kimo does not learn why he and his now dead grandfather used to put a lei atop a monument until the older man is gone, but he finds the monument is a memorial to 24 children who died in the 1946 tsunami in Hawaii.

Attack of the Giant Flood - Kathryn Lay, (978-1602707580) , FictionInterest level: 2-3, ESL level: 3Wendy frets about the dangers of a heavy rain in her community since it has been dry for so long.

Gopher to the Rescue: A Volcano Recovery Story - Terry Jennings, (978-1607181316) , FictionInterest level: 0-4, Lexile: 740, ESL level: 3 - 4Gopher bravely digs more tunnels after a volcano shakes the homes of many neighboring animals, and the animals appreciate the shade and safety of a new soft home.

The San Franciso Earthquake: 1906 - Lauren Tarshis, (978-0545206990) , FictionInterest level: 2-3, Lexile: 610, ESL level: 3Leo is very familiar with the city of San Franciso since he sells newspapers there in 1906, but when the huge earthquake changes everything, he is on the scene recording the changes.

Tornado Alert - Franklyn Branley, (978-0064450942) , Non-fictionInterest level: 1-3, ESL level: 2 - 3This simple book describes how a funnel cloud forms and explains what to do in order to stay safe.

What if There Were No Bees? - Suzanne Slade, (978-1404863941) , Non-fictionInterest level: 1-4, ESL level: 3Bees may seem very small but their pending loss will upset the balance of the entire ecosystem; this book shows the very important place bees play in the food chain.

Upper Elementary to Middle School Books

A, Bee, See - Kenneth Eade, (978-1492787433) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-7, ESL level: 3 - 4The text and illustrations in this book provide a beautiful introduction to the life of bees and the problems occurring that are preventing their flourishing.

Blizzard Disaster - Peg Kehret, (978-0671009625) , FictionInterest level: 3-7, Lexile: 730, ESL level: 4Warren and Betsy time travel to 1940 because of their interest in the great Minnesota blizzard, but they find themselves victims of the storm when their time travel vehicle malfunctions.

Bugged: How Insects Changed History - Sarah Albee, (978-0802734228) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, ESL level: 3 - 4This history of science, health, and social history elucidates the role insects have in helping and harming humans.

Children of the Dust Bowl - Jerry Stanley, (978-0517880944) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-7, Lexile: 1120, ESL level: 3 - 4This book focuses Dust Bowl study on the famous Weedpatch Camp where children lived and worked and struggled, augmented by wonderful photographs.

Disasters - David Burnie, (978-0545479738) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-9, ESL level: 4This book has a collection of primary source material about many types of natural disasters and includes a discussion of them and their impact on our environment.

The Dust Bowl Through the Lens - Martin Sandler, (978-0802795472) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-9, ESL level: 3 - 4The great photographs in this book tell the story of the Great Depression during its Dust Bowl years; the impact the photos had included waking up the public consciousness enough to force the administration to take steps to help the impoverished citizens.

Flood Disaster - Peg Kehret, (978-1416991090) , FictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 780, ESL level: 4Time travelers Warren and Betsy try to prevent the Johnstown Flood in 1889 when they become sympathetic with a man who lost everything after it occurred.

Floods - Michael Woods , (978-0822547129) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, ESL level: 3 - 4Learn about the impact of a flood whether it be from too much rain, huge waves, water accidents, or other sources.

Hurricanes - Michael Woods, (978-0822547105) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, ESL level: 3 - 4Learn about hurricanes and how their occurrence has affected the towns and cities where they have happened.

The Legend of Zoey - Candie Moonshower, (978-0440239246) , FictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 650, ESL level: 3 - 4Zoey time travels from modern times back to visit Prudence in 1811 when the New Madrid earthquake occurred.

Moomin and the Comet - Tove Jansson, (978-1770461222) , FictionInterest level: 4-6, ESL level: 3The beloved Moomins have to get away from their home after disastrous weather and an upcoming comet appears.

On the Other Side of the Hill - Roger MacBride, (978-0064405751) , FictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 860, ESL level: 4Rose Wilder's family faces a series of natural and weather disasters on their Missouri homestead (Little House Books series).

Out of The Dust - Karen Hesse, (978-0590371254) , FictionInterest level: 3-7, ESL level: 3 - 4After Billie Jo loses her parents during the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression, she struggles to keep her life together and continue playing the piano despite burned hands.

Tsunamis - Michael Woods, (978-0822566809) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, ESL level: 3 - 4This book contains lots of interesting information about the formation and destructiveness of tsunamis as well as giving details about countries prone to tsunamis and how others might help affected victims.

Volcano Disaster - Peg Kehret, (978-0671009687) , FictionInterest level: 3-7, Lexile: 770, ESL level: 4Warren and Betsy go back in time to experience the Mt. St. Helen's eruption because their special time travel computer malfunctions while they are working on a science project.

Volcanoes - Michael Woods , (978-0822547150) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, ESL level: 3 - 4View the photos, charts, and other graphs that make the formation, eruption, and devastation of a volcano very real.

Wildfire Run - Dee Garretson, (978-0061953507) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-7, Lexile: 690, ESL level: 3The President's son is thrown into survival mode when a faraway earthquake and a fire trap him and his friends at Camp David.

Years of Dust - Albert Marrin, (978-0525420774) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-9, Lexile: 1040, ESL level: 3 - 4This book describes the losses of the plains farmers during the Dust Bowl of the depression years, focusing on the man-made causes and the massive impacts they had.

Slow Burn - Renee Jacobs, (978-0271036816) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 5This photo essay describes the coal mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania and how it turned into a ghost town overnight when the mine started burning and why the fire continues.

The Battle Against Invasive Species - Sneed Collard, (978-0618756360) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-9, Lexile: 1110, ESL level: 4This book explains how scientists are developing techniques to control and lessen the environmental impact of invasive species.

The Dead and the Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer, (978-0547258553) , FictionInterest level: 7-12, ESL level: 4After an asteroid hits the moon, Alex' life is forever changed; he has the responsibility of caring for his two sisters and also finding a way to live in a decimated New York City.

Fire Undergrond: The Ongoing Tragedy of the Centralia Mine Fire - David DeKok, (978-0762754274) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 5Find out how the coal mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania turned into a ghost town overnight when the mine started burning, and learn why the fire continues.

Haboob - Leslie LeRoux, (978-3868283457) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 5This photographic essay examines the city of Phoenix and shows how its uncontrolled growth and the Arizona sandstorms or haboob have engulfed the small towns and the normal desert habitat.

How to Protect Yourself from Solar Flares - Marc Remillard, (978-1466421394) , Non-fictionInterest level: 10-12, ESL level: 5This book explains how solar activity is intensifying and how it might affect life on the earth.

Invasive Species - Daniel Simberloff, (978-0199922031) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 4 - 5Scientists team with policy makers in this book to examine the problem of invasive species, evaluate their damage, and attempt to control them.

Khamsin: The Devil Wind of the Nile - Inge Borg, (978-1481041959) , FictionInterest level: 10-12, ESL level: 5This romance for mature readers recreates a court setting in 3080 BC that features love, murder, war, and backstabbing, all against the backdrop of the khamsin.

Mt. St. Helens: The Eruption and Recovery of a Volcano - Rob Carson, (978-1570612480) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 4 - 5The author describes events leading up to this gigantic eruption and also details how the mountain recovered in its new form.

Solar Flares: What You Need to Know - Whitley Strieber, (978-1101616338) , Non-fictionInterest level: 10-12, ESL level: 5Learn how the massive electrical grids many nations are using are in danger of interacting with solar flares and destroying life on earth as we know it.

The Worst Hard Time - Timothy Egan, (978-0618773473) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 5This historical book describes 12 families and the effects living through the Dust Bowl years had on their future lives; their horrors included experiencing black dust blizzards, crop fails, and deaths.

The West Without Water - B. Lynn Ingram, (978-0520268555) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, ESL level: 5This text explores the history of the climate changes in the Western part of the U.S. and its impact on extreme weather.